This is Strictly Political, Right?
by CreationsGoneAwry
Summary: Chrom, Robin (F), Lissa, and Frederick are returning to the Ylisstol castle after the war with Gangrel finally came to an end. With Emmeryn gone, though, Chrom has to take over the throne as Exalt, but he seems to want Robin by his side for some reason or another. His sudden, strange proposal leaves Robin in a confused state, though. It's only political... right? (T for language)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hello there! I'm CreationsGoneAwry, CGA for short (or Luxray, as I'm known pretty much everywhere else online), and this is my first "real" Fire Emblem story. I posted a kind of drabble series last year that featured pairings and friendships from FE 7, 8, and 13, but I pretty much lost interest so it hasn't been updated since like... last July.

Anyway, this baby's being worked on consistently, so I may or may not continue posting the chapters until it's fully complete. Ideally I wouldn't even post the first chapter until the whole story's done but I figured I would so I could spark some possible interest in the fandom, and/or at least just see if it's a good premise. I haven't seen this exact storyline before (unless somehow there's a new story out there or the author didn't have Robin and Chrom in the character details) so I figured I'd start it~

I'm hoping for this to just be a romcom with the occasional drama, but at the end/close to end I was wondering if maybe I should include the two years or so from the end of the Gangrel war to the beginning of the... Plegia? war. I don't really remember much of Awakening's plot, admittedly, hehe. But yeah, that's what I'm hoping for, probably less than 20 chapters but no promises.

Oh! And thank you so much to my beta reader, My Gender Is Armin Arlert, for proofreading and checking the general ideas and most importantly dialogue! I seriously can't thank you enough ^-^ You're all kinds of awesome!

Thanks for reading! Sorry I rant a lot... Enjoy!

* * *

**This is Strictly Political, Right?**

The new checkpoint in her life from today on didn't include any friends from the army, the wonderful Shepherds she had grown to love and lead. It would be strange not hearing Stahl's stomach growl or the ecstatic but haunting words of Tharja, or even the constant bickering between Panne and Gaius.

It would undoubtedly take some time to get used to not being with everyone anymore, but she knew she wouldn't be entirely alone. As she looked ahead and saw the tall halidom covering up some of the blue sky, she told herself she'd be fine; after all, she still had three very wonderful people by her side. They were all close enough to stay with her through thick and thin.

The young tactician sighed happily, closing her eyes and basking in the warmth of the sun, wondering how long the nice weather would keep up. There probably hadn't been a day this beautiful since the start of their battles. In the back of her mind she wondered if it was because of the fighting they just weren't able to appreciate nature if it ever was this nice.

Her hair was thrown around a bit by a sudden breeze, tickling her neck. She outstretched her arms and breathed in the crisp morning air, deciding everything was better when there was nothing to worry about. The hardships were over and now she could finally settle down.

"Hey, Robin!"

For a few moments at a time, anyway.

Robin opened her eyes, the voice reminding her that not everything was fun and games like she'd hoped it would be from now on. She still had her own missions to accomplish after all.

The purple-haired girl made her way to Lissa, apologizing for being absent (mainly in the mind). Frederick and Chrom, the only others accompanying her, remained far ahead, seemingly engrossed in their own conversation. Robin paid them no real mind, though, knowing if it was anything important Chrom would tell her later.

"It's nice being able to walk like this," Lissa mused once Robin matched her pace. She subconsciously kicked up some loose dirt with every step, making little dirt clouds and getting her shoes even dirtier than before. "Just… completely carefree and all."

The girls shared a few quiet moments before the blonde continued, hearing some snippets of the two men's conversation.

"What do you think they're talking about?"

"Hmm?" Robin asked, though she had an idea what she asked.

The younger female giggled anyway, knowing how dense her friend could be. "Chrom and Frederick. I've heard your name come up a few times."

It intrigued her a little, but Robin decided to let the two have their space, sticking to her previous trust in their blue-haired leader and friend. "They might have heard you say their names, too," she teased.

Nothing else was really said for a short while until they could finally see the streets and gates of Ylisstol. The castle could easily be seen and, if they strained their ears enough, they could hear the business of the shopping district just through the gates.

"Are you excited?" Lissa asked, making small talk again. "About living and working here, I mean."

Robin half-smiled. "I don't exactly have anywhere else to go. If the castle staff doesn't accept me I suppose I have no choice but to make my home here in the district."

"I didn't mean about the district," the other replied with a laugh. "I bet it feels great knowing you may be able to help out around the city and even make some big decisions."

The smile reached Robin's eyes now as she looked at her friend. "It's all thanks to you and Chrom that I have these connections."

"Oh, stop." She waved it off she always did when it came to royalty matters.

They walked leisurely behind Frederick and Chrom until Lissa decided they all had enough time to chat with the same gender. "Come on! We'll lose them in the crowd!"

Robin admitted they probably would. Lissa was the princess, yes, but Chrom was to be King – and of course that meant he would be pestered by fans, townspeople and press alike. She knew they didn't exactly have to stop it from happening but they had to make sure nothing else accompanied it.

It was rather darkly humorous that outside the city walls they were almost perfectly safe, but once they set foot inside them there could be trouble lurking anywhere. The Ylissean guards would do their duty but one could never be too careful, especially being haunted by the memory of Chrom's near-death experiences with assassins.

She followed Lissa to catch up to the men, stopping once they were directly behind them. For a brief moment she made eye contact with Chrom. He smiled.

"Are you ready?" he asked, scanning her face. He knew she had to be feeling both excited and nervous; even he was, though he supposed he had his own reasons for that.

Robin flashed him a smile, which he laughed at.

"Calm down. We're all right here with you."

That reassurance was pretty much all she needed to lower her guard. All within a year it seemed he could see right through her, maybe even knew her better than she knew herself. Sometimes it seemed like all three of them had a better idea of who she was than she did.

But that was probably easy, seeing as how she was an amnesiac. They all knew her as the calm and collected – but also hot-headed – tactician, not a single weakness in sight. Yet how could she believe that without any memories or proof to back it up? She could have been an entirely different person one year ago, or however many years ago since she remembered. Truly she wondered if anything would ever come back.

She wasn't exactly zoned out as she needed to stay alert for anything suspicious, but she nearly ran into a security guard stationed at the gate. Glancing up, she offered a meek apology before meeting up with the party, who was obviously trying very hard to contain laughter.

"All right, so I'm a little spacy because I'm nervous," she said bitterly, a blush joining her frown. Wouldn't any normal person be the same in such a situation? Having to appeal to some probably old men she had never met before, trying to convince them why she was a great tactician they should consider hiring, did not sound like an easy task.

Chrom stepped closer to her. "Do I need to hold your hand?" he asked. His voice was tender but she knew all too well the teasing, underlying tone.

"No."

Her abrupt response just made him crack up more, but a stern Frederick snapped him out of it.

Chrom cleared his throat and coughed into his fist, any traces of a smile now gone. "Erm, right. That would probably cause a bit of confusion in the city."

Robin was about to ask what he meant by that but before she could open her mouth, Lissa opened hers.

"Come on! Let's go!"

They shared a brief greeting with another gatekeeper and set foot into the city. Just like they could hear from outside, the large shopping district at the city's entrance was absolutely bustling with people. Vendors tried their best to cater to men, women, and children alike and even some street performers attempted to earn some coin. A female dancer at the top of a staircase reminded Robin of Olivia, and then a young boy carrying a bag with some candy sticking out brought the memory of Gaius.

She smiled seeing all this. Sometimes life had little reminders hidden in plain sight.

"Let's make haste to the castle, everyone," Chrom announced. The four quickened their pace, eager to make it in one piece.

Thankfully there weren't too many people paying attention to them, more focused on how they spent their money, so they managed to escape most press and others who would spread the news of the prince and princess's return. There would be a formal announcement later that night, anyway, according to Chrom.

After they ascended just one more stairway they were right at the entrance gate to the castle. As Chrom went on ahead to explain himself and his guests, Lissa beckoned for Robin to look back at the view.

"I know it's kind of hard to imagine when you're in the big crowds, but the capital is really pretty."

Robin nodded, noting the way the birds all flocked to one house and then the next, how the sun seemed to prefer to shine on one area more than the others, and mainly how huge it really was. Outside all they could see were the walls, but here in the heart of it she could see the layers and tiers of houses and shops, leading her to wonder if she could ever get used to life here. It looked so much different than when she was here for the first time, learning that Lissa and Chrom were actually royalty. There was so much to do and so many places to explore – she didn't think there would ever be a boring day.

Though… would she be staying in the castle as a guest or in the city as a normal, tax-paying citizen? She wished Chrom would have been more direct with her about what was likely to happen.

She directed her attention to him, still deep in talk with the gatekeeper. If she wasn't allowed to inhabit the same space as her friends would she have to meet with the guards every time she wanted to visit them?

After a few more moments Chrom turned around and smiled. "Let's go."

Well, at least she got accepted to enter the castle. That was step one, she supposed, and the rest would follow. She stayed close behind the others, occasionally glancing at all the details of the outside as they made their way in.

There was some sort of foyer adorned with pictures – portraits, more like – Robin thought to be of the previous exalts, as she spotted one she believed was Emmeryn. She silently wondered if Chrom's face would soon join them.

The man of interest led them to a fork in the hallway. A quick glance revealed handfuls of rooms to both sides; Robin knew she would easily get lost in here.

"I must prepare for the announcement and apparently catch up on some paperwork," said Chrom with a hand to his neck. "We'll meet back with you ladies later. Frederick?"

The stoic knight nodded. "Milord." He turned to face Lissa. "You could show her around. I'm sure she is curious to see the castle."

Lissa scoffed as if she had just been insulted. "I'm not important enough to be included in the ceremony?" Her voice rose in pitch with every word, coming out more like a shriek than she intended.

Frederick uttered a brief apology and chased after Chrom. It seemed they still had something to talk about.

The young princess crossed her arms and huffed. "There's something fishy going on with those two. I want to know what it is."

Robin nodded in agreement, wondering what was happening as well. She respected Chrom's privacy but at the same time hoped he understood there were limits to her patience. "We should leave them alone for now, though. Chrom's learned he can't keep secrets from us anyway. If we need to, we can easily find out what's going on."

Lissa shared the mischievous smile, happy someone finally saw things her way. "Well, until then… do you want me to give you that tour?"

The sincere smile on the older female's mouth told her yes, so the girls stepped down the right side of the hallway, opposite Chrom and Frederick. There were definitely enough rooms to check out to occupy the time until the formal announcement.

…

It felt like an eternity had passed after they finally finished touring all the rooms. In truth it was only a couple of hours at most, but Lissa's need to explain every function behind every door proved to be quite tiresome. It didn't help that she only remembered about half of the rooms, using the excuse "I don't normally go down the right wing." Being a perfectionist, this meant she searched for people who knew what role each room played.

Strangely, Robin suddenly knew exactly why Lissa didn't consider herself royalty, let alone a princess. And she remembered thinking she, herself, didn't want to be a part of it when she kept seeing a shadowy figure around every corner they turned. It wasn't enough to give her the chills, but it definitely put her on edge.

The two left the last room, built to serve the purpose of a child's playroom, and began wandering down the left wing. Lissa hoped to run into the boys as long as they weren't too preoccupied, but they decided to give up after some time. Meanwhile Robin was wondering how she could request an audience with whoever was in charge; she wanted to find out where she would be staying tonight, at least.

She assumed it would be easy to become appointed as a royal tactician, given her connections, but apparently it took more than a request from the king himself to bring an outsider in and make her nobility. She didn't understand it, and she knew she couldn't ask Lissa, but she trusted Chrom when he told her it was complicated.

Lissa took the lead once more when they reached the rooms of the left wing. She provided short descriptions of each room this time – guest, medical, and a few maids' rooms – before stopping in front of a bigger one a little ways down the hall. The door was large, almost reaching the ceiling, and printed to the side on a plaque were the words PRINCESS LISSA'S CHAMBERS.

The tactician had a feeling the family members had bigger rooms than regular housemaids, but if this was just the size of Lissa's she couldn't imagine what that of Chrom's would be.

"And this is – you probably guessed it – my room!"

Lissa opened the door, revealing possibly the most gorgeous room Robin had ever seen. She expected there to be pink and yellow explosions of color everywhere, knowing the girl, but every corner and wall was a neutral lavender and all the furniture was actually quite modest. There was some space between the bed and what seemed to be a sitting area, and cherry wood dressers filled up most of the rest of the room. It was big, yes, but it didn't feel like a waste of space.

Robin smiled. "Does it feel strange coming here again after such a long time?"

The blonde shrugged. "A little bit. To be honest I would even be happy with a regular pull-out sofa after sleeping on cots for so long." Robin laughed along with her. "You were probably expecting something more vibrant, huh?"

Why did it seem everybody could read her like an open book? "Yes," she replied sheepishly. "Does that bother you?"

"Not really. I just think it's a little funny to see people's reactions when they find out I'm not as girly as they initially thought I was."

Robin chuckled. "I didn't mean anything like that. I think it looks very nice." She glanced around some more, looking at the tray ceiling, how nice and tall it was. "It's timeless and classy. I'm actually a little jealous."

"Thanks!" The princess smiled, sinking down onto the bed, motioning for Robin to join her. She did, and the two sat in silence for some time.

"Hey," Robin started, breaking it, "do you think Chrom really even wants me here? I mean… I pretty much appeared out of nowhere and I brought a lot of trouble with me even though I don't remember what I did to cause any of it." She took full advantage of the bed's comfort and lay down on her back, hands over her torso. "I would understand if he didn't want me to mess up his country with bad decisions."

Lissa gave Robin the chance to rethink her words, hoping she would realize how silly they were, but when it was obvious she wouldn't the blonde scolded her.

"I can't believe you feel that way." She sighed. "I can't really speak for Chrom, and maybe it'd be better if you heard it from him instead, but we probably wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you. I'm a healer and even I can say you've saved us more than I've ever saved anybody." She picked at the blanket strewn across the bed, running her finger along the flower pattern. "I think we were meant to meet you in the field that day so that we had a voice of reason to guide us. You didn't know anything about the world so you were kind of lost, but you learned quickly and I think you understand a little bit of everything better than me."

Robin smiled, grateful to hear those words. It was nice knowing that Lissa understood the serious tones in the world. Sometimes, because she was so young, everyone forgot just how grown up she truly was because she hid behind her childish exterior and attitude. But that was just her way of having fun, the tactician perceived.

"…Thanks, Lissa. But you were right."

She got up, startling the blonde, and headed for the door. "I'm sorry to leave, but I do think I have to ask Chrom how he feels about this. We've brushed over it before but both of us were too busy to truly settle what's going to happen. I'd hate to take advantage of anybody's hospitality, especially if he will be the new king." She turned the knob and walked out, only to return a moment later. "Where is Chrom's room?"

Lissa giggled, mostly unaffected by her words and letting it go. "Just turn right out of the room and keep going straight. There's a few corners but you can't miss it. I think the sign on the door still says 'Exalt Emmeryn' but that's Chrom's room now."

Robin nodded and thanked her again before shutting the door and trying to find the way. Thankfully there were no other rooms except for washrooms – she supposed it was to give the royal members more privacy – so she couldn't get lost or mistake one for another.

She came to a room on the left with a plaque that read PRINCE CHROM'S CHAMBERS but remembered Lissa's words so she skipped past it. However, there were two distinct voices she just couldn't ignore, and she found herself turning around, stopping short of the door. She needed to talk to Chrom anyway.

Her knuckles prepared to knock but she couldn't do it once she started understanding what they were saying. It was Frederick's voice she heard first.

"Well, Milord, do you love her?"

There was a short pause during which Robin stared at the door in suspense, wondering who the girl in question was. She heard Chrom clear his throat. When he spoke his voice sounded rushed.

"As a friend and as a partner, yes of course. Her deduction and leadership skills are envied by many, myself included. There is no doubt in my mind that if we procreated, our child would be brilliant, skilled in both combat and strategy. But…"

Robin gasped, covering her mouth just in time to silence herself. Just who was Chrom talking about?! Already thinking about a child? Was this why he was acting so strangely today - and the past few days?

After looking to make sure there were no people around she moved closer to the door, pressing her ear against it.

"Milord, if I may speak, we have been discussing this for a very long time. If you don't make up your mind soon, it will be too late. You must prepare for the ceremony soon; you won't be crowned yet but all the townspeople are looking forward to hearing your announcement."

She cursed the door for not having a keyhole to peep through but quickly chided herself. Why was she eavesdropping anyway? She could just knock and walk in and ask what was going on.

"Yes, but…" It was Chrom's voice again. "To propose a marriage all of a sudden… Surely she would think me mad, right? Even I do and this has weighed on my mind for weeks." He sighed. "Em always told me that one was to marry who he loves, never out of obligation. Do you think Robin is the type of woman to do this sort of thing? It's awfully selfi – "

"Gah!"

In an instant Robin found herself on the floor of Chrom's room, alternating between both pairs of eyes, meeting them at different times.

"I'm… sorry," she offered lamely. "I heard voices and knew they were yours, and then my name was mentioned after all of that so I lost my grip and reached for the doorknob to hold me up… but it didn't… work." She was out of breath now but stood up, dusting herself off, wishing she could also dust off the heat that rose to her face.

Neither of the men said anything, Chrom frozen in fear and Frederick in shock, wondering if it was too late to escape.

Soon enough, though, the latter apologized and excused himself, shutting the door on the way out. He knew just how loud the two of them could get while entranced in a heated argument.

Unfortunately Chrom could not do the same so he stood awkwardly, not meeting her eye. "So you heard…?"

"Everything." She crossed her arms and looked at him threateningly.

Though she knew there was no point in getting upset and yelling (she knew why Frederick left), so she just waited for him to say something. During this time she realized the room was nearly empty. Unlike Lissa's, it only had a bed, a lamp, and a single armoire. Was all his furniture already moved to Emmeryn's old room? Or did he really not have much in terms of personal belongings?

She decided that didn't matter, though, redirecting her attention to the nervous Chrom after he cleared his throat.

"I had no intentions of keeping this from you."

Robin scoffed. "Is that why I only found out because I was eavesdropping?" She felt a twinge of guilt at her own confession, but then she felt betrayed that she trusted him not to keep secrets.

"I… just got caught up in conversation. Ideally I would have talked about it with Lissa first, seeing as she knows you better…"

She scratched her head. "Why did you wait until now to talk to anybody about this?"

Chrom looked up at the ceiling. "Because I'm an idiot."

She uncrossed her arms. Well, that was very unlike him. For the king and valuable leader of the Ylissean army to admit his shortcoming… it was a bit shocking, to say the least. But she admired his honesty.

Robin stared at the wall instead of him, disbelieving that she was actually playing along. "…So what's going on?"

He didn't miss a beat when replying. "I don't want to force Lissa into the throne when I die." Before Robin could retort he continued, killing her train of thought. "We both know I could be killed in the line of fire any time. It is nothing short of a miracle that it hasn't happened yet. In this time of peace we don't know if or when danger will present itself, so… I must ensure there will be someone to succeed me, right?"

The tactician stayed silent, wondering just how insane he was, knowing he was referring to the aforementioned heir. She had a lot of questions but at the speed he was talking she didn't think she could even get a word in.

"I believed that, with your innate ability to problem solve and make decisions with the utmost thought, an heir with royal blood and the skills of a tactician would prove quite fearsome. No country would dare declare war on us with such a strong leader." He sighed. "I understand what I ask is a tremendous favor, and if you refuse I would not obj – "

"I haven't refused yet," Robin told him, finally able to speak. But what was she saying? "You are truly an idiot for not mentioning anything to anybody and there are several flaws in your logic, but your reasons for wanting this are noble and admirable. I have a plethora of questions but just answer this one." She turned her head towards him.

"Did you tell me I had to request an audience just so you would have more time to prepare for this? After thinking about it, you have all the necessary power to appoint me as the royal tactician, don't you?"

Chrom gulped, knowing this would happen but still fearing it. "Ah… one question at a time, please." He chuckled nervously but once he saw she wasn't having any of it he gave up. "I was planning on announcing your appointment as both queen and tactician tonight."

Queen? She guessed it made sense, but the name still rang through her ears as if a foreign word. As queen she wouldn't have all the authority as Chrom, but as tactician she would be able to continue what she learned to love doing so much.

But was she willing to go the rest of her life practically locked up in the castle? With Emmeryn gone, surely the guards wouldn't be so carefree about letting the royal family go out and fight anymore. She was almost positive there would be several duties and tasks lined up for the both of them – like the paperwork Chrom mentioned earlier, though she had to wonder if he was lying about that as well.

She had to admit, though… she had nothing lined up for herself either. She didn't and couldn't remember anything about her past so she wasn't sure if she actually had her life planned out. It wasn't exactly the greatest idea to wander around, idly searching with nothing to go on, so why not take the chance to unwind and relax and spend time with the three people she undeniably trusted the most? Along with that she could stay on top of her strategy, acting to make sure as few lives as possible were lost to battle.

Maybe she was being too careless, but suddenly all this didn't sound like such a horrible idea - except for Chrom's bad timing and planning, anyway.

"When is the ceremony?" she asked at long last, noticing just the faintest trace of a smile on Chrom's face.

"Thank you," he said. He didn't wait for her to tell him she hadn't said yes yet. "It will start just before dusk, so we still have some time before then."

Honestly, even if there were still hours left, just when did he plan on telling her he was formally introducing her as his bride? She felt a light laugh escape from her. "All right. Despite your horrible lack of arrangement… I guess I'm considering this. I have a few conditions and questions first, though."

Chrom nodded, eagerness present in his expression. "We have time. I will try and answer everything."

"First, I don't have anything even remotely decent to wear. How will I find a tailor in such a short time?" She motioned to her normal tactician robe, implying it was nowhere near good enough to wear to a formal event, especially one she would be involved in. "You are really bad at pla – "

"I already had that arranged. One of the tailors assured me that you and Emmeryn were nearly the same size, so there are just a few tweaks needed for you to fit into one of her old formal dresses."

Robin admitted it was strange knowing she would be wearing someone else's clothes, but given the time limit it didn't bother her as much as it normally would. Besides, it made sense now that when she was on the tour with Lissa there seemed to be someone watching her. They were sizing her up?

"Okay." She guessed that was one less thing to worry about, anyway. "One of my conditions then is that I receive no real special treatment."

He nodded, though she elaborated anyway.

"I do not want to be called Lady or Queen and especially not Your Highness. Since this is more or less a fake marriage I don't think I truly deserve those titles. I must earn trust before fully becoming a queen."

"You will quickly earn it with your tactician title," Chrom reassured her as he butted in. "Besides, the people have always put their trust in their exalt. If he makes a decision, they will stand by it with him. They will come to respect and admire you in no time."

She smiled, thanking him. It quickly turned into a frown as she remembered another big concern, though.

"Will we stay as friends?"

He took a few moments to answer, looking around the room and collecting his thoughts. "I promise you and I will always be friends. Frederick, Lissa, and I together in this castle will never leave you – even the battlefield cannot separate us."

She wasn't confused why it had to be her anymore, or if Chrom accepted her as the tactician. She made a mental note to tell Lissa she wasn't stressing about it anymore. Throughout her talk with Chrom she further solidified that he was rather bad at planning, at least when it came to things that made him uncomfortable, and she more firmly believed she was doing this for his sake as well as her own. They worked together perfectly as friends: she helped him come up with ideas and execute them and he helped her stay calm and rational precisely so she could be of use. It seemed they were each other's perfect complement, so a marriage built on that foundation should be strong, right?

Though…

"Your whole reason for this is to produce an heir, right?" she asked warily.

Chrom nodded. "With both our genes, the child we conceive is sure to be a genius."

She guessed she couldn't argue with that. It was because they were both gifted that they were the leaders of the army. She wanted to make sure her legacy was passed on, as well.

"Besides," he continued, now nervously caressing the back of his neck, "I figured it would be easier with you since we have both seen each other naked already." A hesitant laugh was added and it took all of Robin's strength to resist punching him. Even the king had thoughts like that, she supposed.

"But after all the political business is taken care of, we can go about continuing our friendship as normal… as normal as it could possibly be after that, anyway."

She sighed, staring down at Chrom, who was sitting on the edge of the bed. Truthfully she didn't even remember him moving, but that happened sometimes; one night the two had fallen asleep in the same tent, occasionally even on the same cot, planning their next moves all night.

"I guess I'm all out of questions," she admitted. At least she wasn't confused about his motives or intentions anymore – though she did learn he was extremely paranoid.

He chuckled, back to his normal self. "If you think of any more, I'm not out of answers."

The tactician took that into account, rattling her brain for more that didn't make sense. There were a few thoughts left but they weren't too important at the time, and since they were on a time constraint, anyway…

"All right. I'll marry you," she stated, taking a seat to next to him on the plush bed. She was pleasantly surprised by the level of comfort; even Lissa's had been very nice, so she couldn't imagine what the Exalt's chambers' bed would be like. If nothing, she was in this for the furniture.

"Thank you," he said once more.

The two sat in silence for a while before deciding they really should get ready for the official announcement now. They got up off the bed and started for the door but before Chrom could open it, a stray thought ascended to the front of his mind.

"Damn it!" he exclaimed, a palm to his forehead. "I never told Lissa."

Robin laughed, pushing her way past the distraught man and turning the doorknob.

"I'm going to get an earful."

* * *

_~CGA_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Hey again! Long time no see already... Happy March, everyone!

Cheesy sections galore at the end of the chapter, but that's what this story's all about... pretty much. Fluff and jealousy and cheese and a bunch of misunderstandings. And Robin being stupid (lol). Didn't mean to make her so whiny at all throughout the chapter, but it just sort of happened so whatever. After the introductory chapter the second's either a hit or miss - I feel it's a miss because of all the back and forth and backwards progress but that's up to you to decide :p

Anyway, I'll get right to what I wanna say here. Thaaaaank you so much to all my readers and reviewers and followers! At least once a week or so I get an email notification that another person has followed or favorited this story, and that makes it so much easier to keep writing it (though it doesn't seem that way because this is only the second chapter out of like, twenty). But yes, thanks for the continued support! I love each and every one of you~

And now I wanna brush up on some things concerning the entirety of this fic...

\- Characterization in general will probably be inconsistent (as evidenced by Lissa compared to last chapter, and even Robin and Chrom)

\- I almost definitely won't focus on the war/any of the Shepherds unless it's just for a short while or for "character development" purposes. So really the story only focuses on Chrom, Robin, Lissa, and Frederick and hopefully the comedy that ensues among the four

\- This is... um, well, it may or may not be completed. If you take a look at my profile you'll see quite a handful of stories labeled multichaps that aren't even close to being finished. So I apologize ahead of time if you're disappointed by my lack of updates V_V I'll do my best though because it's mainly just mindless writing here

If I think of anything else that needs to be said I'll either add it in later chapters or just update this one, but until then, on with the Chrobin~!

* * *

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join Chr – "

"Lissa! Quit it!"

Robin emerged from behind the changing screen, clad in the dress she was to present herself in later that night. She was supposed to act orderly and pleasant, so the annoyed expression she wore didn't quite fit, and Lissa giggled.

The grape-haired girl fumbled with the amulet around her neck, desperately trying to clasp it without choking herself. Earlier, when she talked to the helper maids about it, they simply told her it was supposed to feel like that. Truthfully, she couldn't remember a time when she wore necklaces, let alone such a weighted one like this, so she had nothing to go on besides their and Lissa's words. Though, she briefly wondered if she would have to wear something similar to it on a daily basis.

"It's only the announcement tonight," she said to Lissa after finally managing to clasp the ends together.

The blonde thankfully offered some help with the ribbon tying Robin's dress together, though. It almost surprised the tactician how skilled Lissa was at it, but then she remembered that she was royalty; even from a young age she most likely had to wear dresses just like this one.

"There!" Lissa exclaimed proudly. She relinquished her grip on the silk ribbon and turned Robin around so she could see herself in the mirror.

Robin nearly gaped at her own appearance, utterly shocked. Sometimes she actually forgot just how much of a woman she was, her body always covered by the robe, so seeing everything that made her female surprised her, just a little. Well, of course there were the bi-nightly baths and the incident with Chrom that made her a little _too _aware of their situation, but…

The dress was a pale pink from the waist down, everything above a snowy white, and the whole thing hugged her body like a towel. Although she didn't outright hate it, it did reveal a bit more than she would care to, with slits from the sides of her thighs down to her ankles and the low-cut chest area. There was a cover-up she could wear over it, but it only concealed her shoulders.

She sighed as she looked for it. "Really… Chrom sent a tailor to take secret measurements from me because he couldn't even ask me directly."

"Would you rather have had him ask you himself?" Lissa asked, falling back onto her bed.

Currently the two were in her room preparing while Chrom did so in his own. The few housemaids that helped offered more assistance but Lissa quickly pushed them away, trailing on about how it would've just made Robin even more nervous – the tactician tried to protest, telling her she wasn't nervous at all, but Lissa didn't have any of it.

"Well, no," Robin said with a laugh, "but… I'm just frustrated that he waited for the last possible moment to say anything to me. It's not like I mind wearing it, but this dress belonged to your sister, the previous Exalt. Won't that cause some distress?"

Lissa laughed. "You really worry too much." She rested her hands behind her on the mattress, leaning back and holding herself up. "Em never wore anything in her closet, anyway. She would always scold everyone for giving and making her too much stuff, saying she'd feel too bad for not using it. One time, she even requested that the armoire be taken out of her room and given to the maids."

She took in a deep breath. "Anyway, she only ever wore two things, really, and that's because the first needed to be washed every so often."

Robin nodded. It relieved her somewhat to know that Emmeryn hadn't worn the dress, but it also made her feel like she was walking on eggshells when she mentioned her. She wasn't sure whether to apologize or bring up a new topic.

"Besides," Lissa continued, any chances of Robin's counter gone, "she didn't have the body you do. It's not that she wasn't pretty, just… conservative. She wouldn't look as good as you do in this."

She took notice of Robin's appearing blush and laughed. "Why don't you flaunt it more?"

"H-hey! That's…!"

"I know, I know. I'm teasing." The blonde smiled. "I just had to make sure you're ready."

Robin was confused. "Ready for what? It's not the coronation or the wedding yet."

"Yeah… but when my brother sees you in this dress there might not be anything left of it!"

The tactician felt her face heat up, but she scoffed and crossed her arms to pretend it didn't bother her. "Yeah, all right."

Another laugh escaped from the princess's mouth, but her face turned serious once the mirth died down. "I really can't believe he didn't tell me anything, though."

Robin let loose a tsk. "If it makes you feel better, he continued berating himself for over ten minutes," she offered.

A half smile spread across Lissa's face. "The only thing that made me feel better was yelling at him. I mean, I had to find out from Frederick!"

The tactician chuckled at the thought of a startled Frederick relaying the course of events to Lissa. He was probably acting strange since she stepped in on him and Chrom.

"I have another question," Lissa began hesitantly after a while.

Robin shot her a concerned glance and she continued.

"Well… After the initial shock was over, you told me the basics of why and how, but… is there something else?"

When the blonde didn't elaborate, Robin stood confused. "What do you mean?" She started to tie her hair back because the feeling of it pricking her neck bothered her, but Lissa slapped her hands away.

"It looks so much better down," she chided. She patted a spot on the bed next to her for Robin to sit down, and when she did, the princess began working on her hair. Luckily her fingers functioned just as well as a comb.

"Anyway," Lissa resumed, clearing her throat, "is there another reason for this? Do you love Chrom?"

Robin almost choked on the air she was breathing, flinching away from her friend. "Ah… why does that matter? I mean, as a friend he is definitely invaluable, and as a leader – well, I can't think of anybody who could do the job better. Besides, the whole reason for the marriage is to produce an heir."

She relaxed herself a bit, watching her reflection in the mirror as Lissa fussed with her hair. So far she'd managed to put a small bun on the side, securing it in place with some clips she got from Naga-knows-where. It was such a broad transformation she hardly believed it was herself even though it was happening right before her eyes – whose lids had been chalked with eye makeup galore.

Once Lissa started talking again, though, it felt like she was brought back to reality, what was actually happening.

"I know I'm royalty so I should understand this stuff, but…" Lissa sighed. "Shouldn't a marriage be based on love? It seems like a waste to get married just to have a kid."

"Well, Chrom's reasons for it are admirable," Robin replied, yelping a bit as Lissa yanked out a tangle. "He doesn't want to leave Ylisse without a ruler if he dies prematurely – don't give me that look, you know it could happen any day at any time."

Lissa's mirror face reflected a grimace before returning to its neutral state.

Robin sighed. "Even if it happened, the child we produce won't be fit to rule until at least age… what, fourteen, right? So he told me in that case, I should take over. Chrom doesn't want to leave you the responsibility of the throne."

The blonde smiled, momentarily stopping her ministrations with Robin's hair. "Who knew he was actually good for something?"

Neither one said anything else for a while, Lissa preoccupied with perfecting the hairstyle and Robin focused on watching her do it. Only when she was completely finished did Robin bring up the subject again.

"Has he always been like this? Reckless and generally unthinking?"

The two stood in front of the mirror now, admiring the reflections they saw staring back at them. Lissa decided she should start preparing herself now (she didn't have to participate in the announcement but she still had to sit in the background and look pretty), but after hearing that she put her hands on her hips, looking at Robin.

"You tell me – you two were always hanging out together in his tent at night!"

Robin laughed nervously. "It wasn't at all what you think. We only ever discussed strategy."

The princess scoffed. "Yeah, about how to get into each other's pant – "

A knock on the door startled both of them, but Lissa regained her composure quickly, ignoring the glares Robin was sending her.

"He's your brother!" Robin hissed quietly.

"Yes?" Lissa asked to the person behind the door, ignoring Robin for the moment.

"My apologies for disturbing you, Princess." It was a maid's voice. "The formal announcement will begin soon. Are you almost prepared?"

"Oh, yeah! Thanks!" came Lissa's reply. "We'll be out soon, so let my brother know!"

"As you wish, Princess."

This time the girls heard her retreating footsteps, allowing themselves a sigh of relief once the sound stopped.

Robin chuckled. "Do I have to get used to being called that? Well, not princess, but something of the sort?"

The blonde half-smiled. "Unfortunately, yeah. Even if you tell them you don't want to be called anything fancy they don't really listen. But, y'know, it's their job to be that polite after all, so it doesn't bother me as much as it used to anymore."

Robin nodded, though a little disheartened because she wanted to be treated normally. She briefly wondered if it would be any different in her future situation – they would listen to a queen's orders more so than the princess's, right? Not that she wanted to be in command, really, but she just felt like she had to earn her title, not marry into it. Though that was exactly what she was doing, so what did that mean?

The tactician scratched her head, mentally scolding herself for being so contradictory. Everything she did was contradictory, just contradicting itself over and over…

"I was gonna tell you to stop messing up your hair but you look stressed," Lissa said jokingly. "What's the matter?" Now that she was on a time constraint she kicked her preparation into high-gear, picking out a somewhat formal dress from her closet and retreating behind the screen.

Robin sighed. "Chrom's an idiot."

"Hey, only I get to call him that!" the blonde yelled back, though she laughed anyway. "But why bring that up now?"

The purple-haired girl sat back down on the bed, running her hand along the blanket and tracing the pattern. "He expects everything to go exactly according to his plans, doesn't he? I wonder now if there's a huge difference between his combat self and his social self. I didn't really pay attention to it before, but now it makes sense."

She didn't exactly wait for a response before continuing. "Or maybe he just thought about the whole thing way too much, and before he knew it the day for everything to happen had already arrived. But really, he didn't even mention anything about it to me before today, and he expected me to go along with whatever he threw at me." She sighed again, wanting to lean back but knowing it would destroy her hair even more.

"Do you know what I mean, though? In the tactics meetings, he would always think carefully about which soldiers to send out and which paths to take, or how many enemies we could actually bring down before we were forced to retreat and come back later. But here it seems like he's just diving headfirst into everything. Maybe – "

"_Maybe," _Lissa said, butting in with a laugh, "you're way overthinking things, sorta like you think he did before?"

Robin groaned. "Oh, gods, I'm just as bad as him."

The princess laughed again. "You two will make such a good couple."

"And that's another thing!" Robin shouted, ignoring the teasing. "How did he know I was going to say yes? What would he have done if I'd said no? Did he even stop to think about that at all?"

"Would you have said no?" Lissa asked tryingly, knowing the answer already.

Robin frowned, not really expecting that rebuttal so quickly. "Well… I suppose not. It gives me a reason to stay here, and it provides me the opportunity I need to become the royal tactician. But - "

"You can still back out if you want, y'know."

The tactician sighed. "That's not really what I want, though." She clenched her hands. "I'm not entirely sure what it is I want. I don't know why, but everything seemed so trivial earlier. Even though he's an idiot – he said so himself – he's got a way with words that just… manipulates you and makes it so that you can't deny him."

"Consummation will go pretty easily then…"

"I suppose I didn't think this through earlier," Robin continued, not even hearing Lissa's snide remark. "Maybe if there's still some time left before the event, I can talk to him about everything. I probably just got too caught up in what I wanted and didn't think about the course of action I needed to take to get there – or at least, Chrom's way of getting there. Argh, this is confusing."

Lissa finally came out from behind the screen, revealing her own white dress. It had the same general patterns and symmetry Robin's did, except hers covered more area. The purple-haired girl found herself envying her but let it go, knowing nothing would change. She was already used to this one, anyway.

"Does it look okay?" the blonde asked her.

She nodded and smiled. "It looks really great. Do you need any help with your hair…?"

Lissa's eyes widened a bit, mainly in fear or what could possibly happen. "Ah… I think I'm good." She rubbed her arm and laughed nervously. "You should go meet up with Chrom! Make him tell you all this important stuff that he left out!"

Robin nodded, generally oblivious the other girl's aura of distrust towards her hairstyling skills. "I'll see you in a little while, I guess?"

"Yep! Go beat him up!"

…

The grape-haired tactician left Lissa's room, expecting to have no trouble finding Chrom, but after exiting the washroom she quickly realized she didn't know which room to go to. Was he in his old prince's chambers like earlier or his new exalt room?

She supposed it really didn't matter in the long run – she'd find him somehow – so she just stopped in front of the door with PRINCE CHROM'S CHAMBERS printed on the plaque. She knocked twice and called out to him, but when she didn't receive an answer she decided to try the other room.

But when she turned around, of course he was standing right there down the hall.

"Oh, Rob – "

He stopped abruptly in his tracks and coughed into his hand off to the side. A light shade of pink dusted his cheeks from what she could tell.

She tilted her head, confused, and started her own walk towards him. "What's wrong?"

"…Nothing," he responded immediately. "Just stay there – or better yet, I'll go get something to cover you up."

Chrom started to walk away but after Robin realized what he meant her face flushed a brilliant red, remembering she didn't take the cover-up with her. She'd definitely have to grab it before she went out…

"No, no, it doesn't matter," she said hurriedly, mostly to calm herself down. "Aren't you the one who said you're comfortable with this whole thing because we've already seen each other nak – "

"Robin!" He turned back around the corner to glare at her. "Don't ever mention that in public!"

She laughed. "It's just us here right now." Was he embarrassed? Well, it wasn't like she was completely comfortable...

Chrom sighed and palmed his face. "Yes, but that doesn't mean there isn't anyone listening in, and somebody could very easily walk by and – gods, just come with me!"

Before Robin could protest, he had her by the arm, leading her around several corners – to get to his room, she assumed. She'd never seen it but she expected it to look more or less the same as his old chambers. Chrom didn't seem like the type to stockpile furniture.

As they inched closer and closer to the door, Robin wriggled out of his grip, wanting to move on her own now.

He pushed the door open and let Robin enter first, making sure that nobody was around to see them like this before he shut and locked it behind them.

Chrom ran a hand through his hair and exhaled, and it was only then that Robin really took notice of everything around her.

For starters, Chrom himself was dressed much more nicely than normal, though she supposed that wasn't too hard to do. He sported a nice, navy blue trench coat-like buttoned suit in exchange for the white cape, and a matching pair of pants. His hair wasn't much different than usual, especially since he kept messing it up anyway, but it did look a bit neater, perhaps slicked down with gel or the like.

And then there was the room. A large wood dresser occupied most of the space of one wall while a slightly smaller one took a bit of the wall perpendicular to it. Both still left plenty of space for a sofa in the middle of the room, lightly patterned with pale pink and yellow plaid. The king-size bed sat in the middle of the back wall, cloaked with heavy-looking comforters and sheets, just steps away from the sofa.

On the other side of the room was most certainly the focal point of the room. A large bay window and door with ivory curtains led to a balcony overlooking the outer garden. Without thinking Robin walked over to it and stepped outside, taking in the crisp evening air and quiet atmosphere. In the distance she could see a few outdoor lamps, illuminating the beautiful landscaping.

"This is gorgeous," she whispered. With the wind whipping at her, though, she could feel her hair starting to come loose, so she stepped away in fear that Lissa's hard work would be for naught.

And anyway, she wasn't here to relax; she was here to set Chrom straight!

She turned around from the door after shutting it and stared at Chrom, trying her best to keep her face calm but also let him know she was upset.

"So what's the reason for all of this, anyway?"

He didn't budge, wearing a confused expression. "For bringing you to the room…? That's because you were about to shout out that we've – "

"No, you idiot!" she broke in exasperatedly. "What's your reason for being an idiot?"

Again, Chrom was only confused, but before he could try to provide another answer, she continued.

"I mean… _why _exactly did you wait until the last possible second to tell me any of this? I assume Frederick knew because you were acting so friendly with him earlier, and he was in the room with you talking about me."

"I've always been friendly with Frederick," Chrom replied smartly, though when Robin shot him a glare he cleared his throat nervously. It seemed he wasn't quite as good at dodging questions as he thought he would be during this matter. It would be better to be honest then, right?

He sighed. "I already told you that I'm an idiot for waiting so long. What more do you want?"

Robin crossed her arms but softened her glare at him. "Did you just think I would go along with everything so easily? Never mind the fact I actually did."

"Honestly? Yes, I did."

She felt her arms fall to her sides, her jaw opening slightly in surprise. "W-what, does that mean you think I'm an idiot, too?"

Chrom chuckled but shook his head. "Not especially. It's just… you don't exactly have anything lined up for you in the future, and you were always only talking about how much you wanted to continue with your strategy and being a tactician. I thought you would be ecstatic with this decision – well, at least the half of it that's for you."

"I _am _happy," she told him, though her tone said differently. She groaned and inched closer to him, convinced that if they could look at each other maybe she wouldn't feel like yelling anymore. "I'm happy to have this opportunity, really, but it just seems like a rather roundabout way to get to it."

"Well, don't forget, the reason behind this is to produce an heir. And truly, I feel that there's no other way to get what we both want."

Robin rubbed at her arm, a little chilly from being exposed, and calmed herself down a bit. "…Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry for acting this way today." She sighed and waltzed over to the bed, sitting down on it. "I suppose I'm easily influenced by other people far too easily, especially when I'm under stress."

He raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess – Lissa?"

She looked up at him and laughed. "Yes, actually. In fact, I think she's under the impression that I only came here to kick some sense into you."

"Some sense…?" he started to ask, but when he didn't really get a reply he moved on. "What did you come here to do, then? Since you're obviously not doing what she thought you would."

The tactician looked away again, fixating her gaze on the plush white carpet. Just how much longer did they have until the announcement, anyway? When she looked outside she remembered it was at least dark enough to warrant light posts, and Chrom had said the event would start before dusk. That meant there was only an hour at best, then, so she would have to make this pretty quick if she wanted to retain any hope at all of getting out of this.

"I… I honestly didn't think everything through properly. It didn't register in my mind that marriage actually meant marriage – I guess I just thought we would have a child and then go about our separate lives perfectly fine afterwards? But it doesn't really work like that."

Chrom wanted to butt in and she noticed, so she quickly kept talking.

"A marriage _is _supposed to be built on love, or at least between two people who believe there's nobody else for them, but in our case I've already accepted that this probably won't be the case; that's not the part I take issue with, anyway. It's the whole… heir thing. A child – and pregnancy alone – brings so many changes, I would think. You have to change your whole lifestyle and plan around the baby's birthdate and all these other things, and I just feel like it's a whole new level of commitment that I'm not ready to make."

He joined her on the bed and hesitatingly began trying to reassure her of everything, but even when words came out it wasn't anything particularly helpful. He exhaled, ultimately giving up.

"All right," he said at long last, feeling her gaze on him. "If you don't want to go through with this, it's fine, really. I already said that if you felt strange about it at all I wouldn't object to your refusal. It's obviously taking a toll on you because for one, you're not yelling at me about this, you're actually rather calm." He laughed when she did. "But for my other point, you don't normally brood over anything. Even when we would lose soldiers, you would hold the short memorial and move on with your life afterwards, planning the next tactics and making sure no more lives would be lost.

"You're really thinking about this a lot, though, aren't you?"

She nodded hesitantly, and after a few moments he continued.

"You don't have to do this for me. You've already done more than enough just staying by my side all this time as my friend and trusted tactician. And I hate to say it, but if I have to find somebody else to bear my child, I will."

Chrom smiled down at her and rubbed her back reassuringly, but in the process he made contact with her bare skin by accident, not realizing that her dress didn't cover much of her form. He felt all the heat rush up to his face and looked away, quickly retracting his hand, but he glanced back with a concerned expression.

"You're really cold," he said, pressing the back of his hand on her arm. "Are you all right?"

Robin nodded and smiled slightly. "I guess I didn't think about just how cold it would be without my robe. The cover up is a little thin but it should be at least a little better for tonight."

Suddenly Chrom felt guilty for letting the tailor suggest and pick Robin's outfit. Without really giving it a second thought he shrugged off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders, leaving him in the white button-up shirt.

She blushed and looked away. "Thanks," she told him meekly, instantly feeling warmer.

He nodded, smiling. "Well, anyway…" he trailed, putting a hand to his neck and rubbing. "Don't worry about anything tonight. We are the only ones who knew about the arrangement, anyway, and Lissa and Frederick aren't the type of people to spread rumors. I'll just formally announce you as royal tactician tonight, then – how does that sound?"

"Yeah," she said simply, a little guilt-ridden.

They say there for a few more moments until Chrom became antsy. He stood up.

"Wearing my coat must be pretty heavy and uncomfortable, right? I'll go get your cover up from Lissa's room. When I get back, we should probably start heading to the balcony and get ready."

She nodded, but it still bothered her. "What are you going to do about tonight?"

Chrom smiled. "I'll think of something else to say, don't worry. I'll be back in a few minutes, all right?"

"Okay."

He walked over to the door, ready to open it and confront his sister again and get his head bitten off _again, _but before he exited he turned his head back towards her.

"By the way, you look really nice tonight."

Before she could respond he shut the door behind him, leaning back against it, heart pounding a mile a minute. So much was decided in just a matter of moments… Was it really all right like this? Despite the short notice he gave to Robin and even Lissa, he had been planning this out for months, Frederick joining in most times.

He shook his head, forcing the thoughts away. He knew there was a chance she would back out still, and that was fine. There were other things he could do to make sure the royal family lived on, but he just hoped it didn't have to include Lissa if she didn't want to.

With only a few lingering thoughts in mind, he made his way to his sister's room, just a little bit looking forward to hearing some yelling for a change of pace.

…

"Many of you are probably wondering what this announcement is about and who this woman standing beside me is," Chrom's voice echoed through the night, trailing down to all the citizens below.

There was a light breeze flowing through the air and wafting into Robin's nose, producing a calming effect. She was nervous, of course, even though she wasn't going to be introduced as Chrom's wife or queen, but the wind and the people around her let her know it would be fine.

She still felt guilty for turning down his offer, though, and she wasn't sure the feeling would go away anytime soon.

"This woman's name is Robin," Chrom continued, her feelings obviously unknown to him. "Robin is a very valuable partner, confidant, and friend to me and everyone in the army."

Did she really have a reason for refusing him? Of course she'd been talking to Lissa about it most of the day and Chrom for the rest, but the only thing she could come up with being an issue was the matter of her becoming a mother. Surely that didn't have to happen immediately, right?

After her introduction as the soon-to-be queen, the wedding ceremony would take place, and right after that would be the honeymoon. While she knew the implications that came with that, she was pretty certain that it didn't have to be that way; they could just sit and talk or do whatever they used to do throughout their journey.

…But that was tactics, she remembered, mentally slapping herself. What _did _they do when they weren't discussing strategy? Even though it was less than a week ago that they were engulfed in the matters of war, she honestly couldn't remember.

"Her strategic skills are beyond comparison, rivaled by no one, and she never lets her emotions cloud her judgment."

_I wouldn't say never, _Robin found herself thinking, chiding herself for all of her earlier actions. There was so much that she wanted to apologize for, to just say in general, to make up for what she'd done. She'd probably hurt Chrom a lot, and while she felt he deserved a little bit of it for not coming to her right away with the matter, the guilt kept getting to her.

And both of them had already pointed out that she didn't exactly have a plan to go along with after the war ended.

"The war is over, hopefully for many more years to come. Unfortunately, though, that doesn't mean we can be reckless and careless. We must still look out for ourselves and each other, even in these times of peace. I don't like talking about grave matters, but anything can happen."

Were their thoughts in sync? He'd been saying pretty much everything that was on her mind, just sugarcoating it and putting it in fewer words. She knew it was stupid thinking this way, but if he was reading her mind, then –

"That is why I'm formally announcing Robin as our new royal tactician," Chrom said to everyone, reveling in their cheers and applause. Now, if only he were able to say something else, too…

After the mirth of the audience died down, Robin found herself wondering more and more just what was so bad about marrying Chrom. It wasn't like she would be tied down for her entire life, unable to do anything she wanted to. She was sure he wouldn't let that happen – after all, he and Lissa were the respective prince and princess and they went off to war.

And if it was the child that she was so worried about, perhaps Chrom would talk some sense into her later on. In the worst-case scenario, she would be a pregnant blob for about a year of her life, but at least she would eventually be able to pass on her tactics. The child would be well-mannered and respected, growing up in royalty, and would most definitely be loved throughout the kingdom.

So why was she still thinking about this? If they were as in sync as she thought they were right now…

Robin stepped just close enough to Chrom so she could grab his hand, rubbing circles on the back of it with her thumb. The action startled him and he glanced down at her, concerned, but he couldn't pull away after seeing her expression. It was a mixture of happiness, guilt, and worry, but there was also a bit of pride in it.

His eyes widened in understanding (though he didn't know _why _he understood) and he grinned from ear to ear, turning his head to face the citizens once more.

"…and your new Queen."

When the audience heard that there were some gasps but mostly applause and happy cheering like normal, except now it was louder.

Behind them, they heard Lissa giggling excitedly and Robin turned around to flash a smile at her, letting her know there was nothing else to worry about. Even Frederick visibly perked up, offering a smile of his own at the happy couple.

Robin returned her attention to Chrom, realizing just what a big decision they both had just made, blushing a bit. She moved her thumb around on his hand some more, attempting to calm herself.

Chrom gripped her hand tighter and raised them both up in the air, smiling when the townsfolk cheered louder.

She smiled stupidly, wondering if they all really were as happy as they seemed. Well, if Chrom's words were anything to go by, then of course they were; they would go along with anything their Exalt did.

"…We're just stupid, aren't we?"

Chrom barely heard her over the noise but he smiled down at her and laughed. "Yes… we really are. Two stupid idiots who are going to marry for their own selfish reasons, and then we'll produce an heir who's just as selfish as we are."

Robin chuckled. "I hope he's not as stupid as you."

* * *

_~CGA_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Hi, guys! Been a while again... sorrysorry, and then this chapter like isn't even that good, but don't worry! It picks up the pace from here - timeskips, sort of. Chapter 3 here just marks the end of the first _day_, come on.

I'm thinking either 4 or 5 will be the wedding, and then, uh, we'll just have to see what comes afterwards.

Lately I've, uh, kinda not been proofreading/editing as much as I probably should, so if you spot any issues, don't be afraid to point them out. My lazy self might not fix them for a week and a half, but once I know they're there it'll bug me so much I won't forget about it.

For some more crap you probably don't care about, my doc manager was full when I tried to upload this, so I actually had to delete something from it. Admittedly, I do a lot of my writing in doc manager (because my computer is so old and stupid it lags in Word, doesn't like OpenOffice or anything else of the sort) so I had to go through a bunch of the files there and make sure I actually could get rid of something. In case you're wondering, the limit is 50 documents. I have a lot of stuff...

quick edit: Crap I forgot to respond to a review that really helped me. Thanks, Kickthecommie (lol), for your review! I reread it like fifteen different times, I swear, and what you said has actually made me think about all my other stories. When I'm writing I have mental reminders to actually use more names and pronouns now. I admit I never really realized how much I used the other words like that, so thanks for pointing that out ;A; Maybe someday I'll go back and fix the earlier two chapters to make them not such an eyesore with those modifiers, but for now just know that your review did help a lot!

Anyway, thank you, everyone, for sticking through this with me! ^^ If the story's boring now I promise it won't be like that for very much longer. After my latest HM fic is out of the way (like 3 more chapters) this'll be my primary focus so I can just get it done. It's not like it's a chore writing this, but the longer it sits the lesser my motivation becomes...hehe. My unofficial New Year's Resolution (my god it's already the middle of May) is to complete all of my multichaps, so let's see how that goes!

As always, thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Faves and follows are also appreciated :P Enjoy!

* * *

After Chrom's announcement ended, Robin tried to get close to him, looking for an opportunity to talk about everything that had happened – since they more or less just guessed the other person's feelings.

The press and maids and consultants blocked any chances, though, swarming around him and leaving no gaps. They mainly asked about the marriage, making Robin a bit confused; if she was the bride-to-be, why weren't they coming to her for answers, too?

She sighed inwardly in relief, knowing it was a blessing that she wasn't being targeted.

Chrom didn't comment much on the matter, though only Robin knew it was because they hadn't even begun to brush on that subject yet. It was strange, but it seemed that as soon as Chrom was out of the warzone he didn't care much for any of the finer details.

She supposed that was for the best, in any case, when the topic suddenly evolved into the business of the throne and when they would produce an heir. Of course she would have loved to provide her own answers regarding their future child… but only if she was alone with Chrom. Personal matters weren't made for the public, even if they were the royal couple now.

Besides, having that onslaught of questions was just the press's way of asking in different words, "Are you two having sex?"

Even though the bluntness was only in her thoughts, Robin found herself blushing. Now that it would probably be a reality soon, it would be best not to concern herself with it.

Not a moment too soon, Lissa beckoned to her from around the corner, and she gladly followed after her.

The two entered Lissa's room and Robin thanked her for saving her from her thoughts. Lissa stared at her for a moment in confusion but brushed it off, scolding her instead.

"Why aren't you standing there with Chrom?!"

"Ah…" Robin backed away slowly, neither expecting nor anticipating Lissa's anger. "He's busy right now. Isn't that obvious?"

Lissa sighed. "But you're his wife!"

"E-erm, I'm actually not yet – "

"If Chrom has to go through all that torture he should at least have the woman who loves him at his side!"

Robin walked to the bed and sat, not really knowing why she was putting up with Lissa's crazy theories but doing so anyway. "Torture?"

Lissa nodded. "Well, yeah. They're still probably on the topic of your kid and you're not even pregnant yet!"

The tactician laughed. "I guess you're right." She lay back on the mattress and sighed. "So what should I do?"

"I just told you – go out there with him and suffer together!"

Robin glanced in her general direction and rolled her eyes. "Why? Chrom can take care of himself."

"Oh, come on, think about it," Lissa said. "That stuffy announcement ended not even a half hour ago and Chrom's the only one taking the hits. If you're going to be part of the royal family, you're gonna have to deal with those annoying press, too."

Robin thought about protesting again, reasoning that because Chrom's planning and timing got him into this mess in the first place and this was his punishment.

But then she remembered just how persuasive Lissa could be, and how easily she herself could be pressed into guilt. With a groan, she got up off the bed and started towards the door.

"All right," she said, defeated. "I'll see you later tonight."

Lissa looked at her inquisitively. "Why?"

Robin's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, no, no, no, I am _not _sleeping in Chrom's room tonight!"

The blonde laughed (evilly in Robin's mind). "What makes you say that?"

"Be-because I ca sleep in here with you! I'll even take the floor if I have to!" She wasn't really thinking of sticking her in Chrom's room, right? Just because they were getting married didn't mean they actually had to go through with everything!

Lissa shook her head. "Nope, my room's too small."

"What?!"

"Besides," she continued, "if you were just going to sleep on the floor in here, why can't you sleep on the floor in Chrom's room?"

Robin huffed and crossed her arms. "Jeez, Lissa, I'm glad you don't have a brother complex, but really? It's like you want us to hook up right now."

"Well, I kinda do!"

She turned around to raise her eyebrows at Lissa. "What? That's disg – "

"You two have unresolved tension that's getting on my nerves!" Lissa shouted, pushing Robin towards the open door.

"…Tension?"

"I don't know what went on between you two, but this is an order, and a princess's word must be obeyed! Now go sleep with my brother!"

The door slammed behind her and she was about to turn around to tell Lissa off through it but a familiar head of blue hair caught her attention instead.

"A-ah, Chrom! You… probably heard everything, didn't you?" she asked, voice shrinking with every word. She gulped.

"Everything you didn't want me to hear, I assume."

Robin sighed and slumped against the wall. "Great." She put her face in her hands, cheeks burning, suddenly feeling very shy. When Lissa mentioned tension, she wasn't talking about… _that, _was she? But she specifically said she didn't know what went on between them…

"So, do you want to go?"

"What?!" she shouted. When Chrom backed away, though, she groaned. "Sorry… I guess what Lissa said is getting to me."

Chrom stared for a moment, but then he understood and his cheeks flushed. "N-no, I didn't mean it like that," he said lamely. He squeezed his forehead in frustration. "I just meant… we should go to my room – be…cause Lissa obviously isn't going to let you back in there tonight, for whatever reason."

"You know why, Chrom!" Lissa's voice spat from the other side of the door.

He grimaced, smacking his head. "Gods, Lissa."

He grabbed Robin's arm and helped her up before starting to walk away. "Come on, at least we'll have some privacy."

Robin followed him hesitantly, overthinking Lissa's words and beginning to question her own motives for this. It was to produce a strong, smart, and overall brilliant heir, right? The method of doing it didn't matter one bit to her.

There was no way she'd allow herself to be self-conscious around Chrom – part of the reason he'd come up with the whole idea was because they'd been exposed to one another already and were fine.

She felt a large amount of blood rush up to her cheeks as she watched his back from behind him, remembering just how broad and strong it looked in its bareness. She closed her eyes and shook her head rapidly.

"Stupid Lissa."

"Hmm?"

She actually forgot Chrom was there, even though she was just thinking about him. "N-nothing, never mind."

The two stopped once they got to Chrom's Exalt chambers, and a sudden idea popped into Robin's head.

"Hey, Chrom?"

He turned around. "Yes?"

"How about we just pretend everything's all decided and talked about already so I can go back to Lissa's room?"

When Chrom's face told her he didn't understand, she elaborated.

"Well, since it would obviously be awkward for us to sleep in the same room, I thought…"

He was only further confused. "Why would it be awkward? We would often find ourselves waking up beside each other when we were discussing strategy tactics." He cleared his throat. "Erm… of course we don't have to share the bed – there is a sofa I could very well use."

Robin was listening to him and understanding what he said just perfectly, and she scolded herself. For some reason, she couldn't shake the weight of Lissa's words from her mind. It was unlike her to let something like that bother her.

What did she mean by tension? She already said she didn't know what happened, but how did she know or why did she think something was wrong?

"Besides, you're a terrible liar – "

"Chrom, is there unresolved tension between us?" she asked, momentarily forgetting that insult.

"Tension?"

She nodded. "Lissa said something about there being tension between us, that she could sense it."

"Lissa…" He groaned and squeezed his temples. "Is that why you've been so on edge lately?"

She blinked and stared at him, thoroughly confused and a little annoyed. "Lately? It's been minutes since then, and I thought you heard the whole thing, anyway."

"O-oh," Chrom said, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's… what I meant – lately as in the past five minutes. You seemed nervous."

He fumbled with the doorknob, showing his own nerves, and stepped back to let her go first.

"Come on," he said. "I don't really want Lissa eavesdropping on another of our conversations."

She nodded and walked in, feeling a bit hesitant but calming down once the plainness of the décor was in sight. It wasn't unlike what she would pick out for herself in her tent. The solid colors soothed her, and there weren't any patterns on the blankets that she would get distracted by late in the night.

She turned her attention to the bay window again, gazing longingly at it. Before she could stop herself she opened it up and propped herself up on the window seat, staring out at the courtyard, all lit up by the streetlights.

Even though she'd only been sitting there a few moments, she felt herself instantly calm down. There wasn't anything that Lissa said eating at her anymore, and she didn't feel like she'd be a stuttering idiot the next time she talked to him.

She turned around, unsurprised to find Chrom seated on the bed.

"Hey, Chrom," she called to him.

He turned his head towards her, still fumbling with his tie to try and get it off. "Yes?"

Robin bit her lip nervously – just seeing his face and hearing his voice seemed to cause her to revert back. He took off his coat, too, the same one he let her borrow earlier because she was cold, and the familiar feeling of warmth crept up onto her person, but she shook those thoughts away.

"Well… I'm not going to try and get out of this again, and I understand why you think I'm a good contender for the marriage and all, but… wouldn't it have been easier if you had asked Sumia or Maribelle instead?"

It hadn't been very long at all since the Shepherds were all together – even everything that happened here was within the one day – and Robin could tell that Sumia was very much smitten with Chrom. He wouldn't have to deal with her attitude, and within time he would surely come to love her back, right?

She really wasn't trying to back out of it, because she accepted her responsibility and wants now, but in her mind it just made more sense if he were to pick one of those two ladies instead.

Robin nearly took back her question after hearing Chrom sigh deeply, though, and she felt a little guilty asking.

"It's, ah, a little unnerving to prattle on negatively about my own army, but… Sumia's not fit to be queen. She's clumsier than Lissa, and far less capable of political decisions. And Maribelle's no good, either. I've been with her since childhood, and she is definitely a worthy asset, if only because of her attachment to me and Lissa… yet I feel she's just a third sister – well, second, I suppose."

There was a moment of pause and silence before he looked over at her again. "Got anyone else in mind to be my bride? I've asked myself all of these questions and then some, believe me, and the answer always points back to you." He smiled sheepishly.

Robin returned his smile. "No, I think I understand now – and for the most part, I agree," she added with a laugh.

Chrom stared at the wall. "Besides, we certainly do not need two people who are unfit to rule in charge of a kingdom."

Her lips parted as she glanced over at him, wondering if she'd heard him right. "Um… Chrom?"

"Oh, no, just forget that," he said, realizing his mistake. "Don't worry about it."

She smiled sadly. She guessed even political rulers had insecurities sometimes.

Her head turned back to stare out the window, watching as the late-night gardeners strived to keep the plants in tiptop shape. Though it was dark out she could still see the topiaries and rosebushes, alive and thriving. In a way, plants were like children, right? They started out as just seedlings, but if one raised them right with great care and love, they would sprout up and become beautiful, mature adults.

She chuckled to herself, not knowing why the sudden analogy came to her mind.

Not too long after that, she started to feel the wind pick up, so she shut the window and stepped away, shivering a little.

Chrom laughed from the bed and she snapped her heard towards him, unaware she had his attention.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

Robin nodded. "It's a little chilly over there, yeah." She wrapped her arms around herself and headed towards the door. "I should go get a change of clothes from Lissa's r – " She stopped when she realized that probably wasn't going to work out the way she wanted it to.

Lissa was probably still boycotting her presence in her room, so she couldn't go there for any reason for the rest of the night. Even though she was a lenient princess for the most part, she could be pretty mean.

She sighed. "Do you possibly… have anything I could borrow for the night?" As she asked she felt the chill of the night creep up her spine – then again, it may have just been nervousness, considering she wasn't anywhere near the window anymore.

Chrom got up in an instant. "I think I might have something." He rummaged through the dresser right next to her, all too aware of her stare when he opened up the wrong drawer.

"That's… nothing, I swear," he said in his low, embarrassed tone, eliciting a laugh from Robin.

"Yeah, yeah, the king's too good to look at raunchy magazines," she teased, making a note to pester him more about it later.

He cleared his throat as he shut the awkward drawer and opened a different one. Inside were some of his shirts, plain gray in color.

"Ah," he said pleasantly. "These will probably be fine, right?"

Robin nodded. "I normally wouldn't even mind, but this dress can't really be used as a nightgown…" She gestured to its tightness, expecting Chrom to understand, but she had to admit she was kind of glad he didn't look. She didn't need more embarrassment.

He laughed nonetheless. "S-sorry, it seems the tailor I sent for didn't loosen up the edges or anything." He pulled out one of the shirts and unfolded it, handing it to her. "It's not anything fancy, but it'll do the job."

"It's fine," she told him. "Thanks. I guess I'll go change in the bathroom then." She glanced around briefly before walking towards the door to the attached bathroom.

Once the door was shut she sighed in relief, thankful she could finally get out of this uncomfortable getup. It's not that she wasn't grateful for all the help she received to look nice, but after having to walk in shoes that didn't suit her and donning a dress that revealed all of her curves, it would be great to unwind in simple attire.

Curiously, she held the shirt up against her body. It was quite long, longer than most t-shirts, and her frame was a bit petite to begin with, so she was certain it would cover the important areas.

Not that Chrom hadn't seen them already.

Her cheeks flushed and she dropped the shirt to cover her face embarrassedly, wondering why her thoughts had to torment her again. She let her hands fall and sighed, bending down to pick up the shirt, placing it on the counter while she went to work getting the dress off.

There were just a few clips and hooks here and there that needed undoing, and it wasn't too hard stepping out of it, thankfully. She had a little trouble getting the shirt over her pinned up hair, though, and it messed it up in the process anyway so she just untied it and ran her fingers through a few times to get rid of whatever tangles might have formed.

Robin allowed herself a quick peek in the mirror, admiring how, even now that her hair wasn't fixed up nicely anymore, it still looked rather good, especially for nighttime. It fell just below her shoulders in thin, curly strands, probably stuck that way because of the special updo she had in.

She was shorter than average so she couldn't see much of herself past her stomach, but she knew she was baring most of her legs because she could feel the air. It wasn't too cold, though she'd be happier when she snuggled underneath a blanket.

To top it all off, the shirt had a scent that reminded her of Chrom and his hugs, and she looked away from the mirror before she could catch herself blushing.

She'd only ever broken down one time, when they lost their first soldier. She was an amateur tactician, naïve to the ways of war and Ylissean life especially, and she didn't know why Chrom had insisted on taking her with them all. All she remembered from it, really, was feeling worthless and useless, like she was the absolutely worst human being in existence.

Chrom was the first to tell her she wasn't, though, and the way he so rapidly pulled her into his embrace made her actually believe it. She didn't remember anything of her life before then, assuming she even had one, but she certainly didn't feel like she was worth much.

The memories brought a warm feeling that coursed throughout her body, and she closed her eyes to revel in it. When she was traveling with everyone, Lissa and the other girls would often tease her about spending so much time with Chrom, saying how obviously they were meant for each other and how much they definitely liked each other.

While she couldn't deny that she was at least attracted to Chrom, she didn't think she was particularly in love with him or anything. They were just really good friends, inseparable partners, perhaps.

She sighed, rubbing at her head. How long had it been since she'd let her thoughts go off on a tangent like that?

Ever since this whole thing started, it felt like she'd been acting more and more strangely. It wasn't like her to do these things at all.

She picked up the dress from the floor and started turning the doorknob to go back into the room. Depending on how long she was in the bathroom, Chrom might've already been asleep by –

"Ah!" she screamed, dropping the dress and shielding her eyes. She turned around immediately, as if somehow it would stop her from thinking about what she'd just seen.

"Robin!" Chrom shouted right afterwards, his voice a few pitches higher than normal. "Gah, you… you startled me."

A few awkwardly quiet moments passed with them in the same positions, and Chrom sighed. "You can turn around now, y'know."

"Ah, right…" she trailed nervously. "It's not like it's anything I haven't seen before!" She tried to laugh it off, but her words only made both of their blushes grow darker.

"Sorry," she said in a low voice. Honestly, it was just his chest… It wasn't like he was stripping naked – unless he already had and she'd just caught him in the last step of his dressing process. She felt her cheeks heat up even warmer.

She picked up the dress again and awkwardly walked to the dresser on the other side of the room, draping it across the top. Without another word, she made her way to the bed and crawled directly underneath the blankets.

But then the guilt-ridden side of her personality took over and she emerged on top of the covers, apologizing profusely. "Sorry, I'm sorry, Chrom! This is your bed, so you should sleep here, right? I'll take the sofa."

She expected him to be a little upset but instead he laughed. "Stop worrying about it, jeez." He rubbed his neck like he always did, a telltale sign he was getting nervous, she'd learned. "I'll take the sofa tonight. If you really feel that bad about it, how about we alternate every other night?"

She nodded. "So I'll take the sofa tomorrow night." Her mind briefly wandered to the thought of how many nights there would be before the wedding, but she banished it quickly.

Chrom walked over to the lamp to shut it off, Robin staring at him every step of the way. Somehow he looked different with pajamas on instead of his regular, somewhat formal, attire. She couldn't remember any time they'd allowed themselves to wear pajamas throughout the war, so being dressed so comfortably and casually like this just felt like the war really was over.

Robin pulled the large comforter up to her nose as she rolled over to her side. Suddenly the thought of sleep enticed her even more than usual.

She heard the quiet squeaking of the sofa mattress, meaning Chrom was probably trying to settle in now that the room was engulfed in darkness, and as soon as the noise stopped his voice took its place.

"Robin."

He didn't say it in a harsh way at all, but it certainly didn't sound like a friendly way to address her. She gulped, wondering just what could've been on his mind.

"What?"

There was another squeak before he responded. "Sometime soon I really want to talk about everything that's happening. I know today's been an extremely long day, so I didn't press it, but…"

She nodded, though she knew he couldn't see her. "Yeah." Her cheeks flared up in anticipation. She knew everything that was going to happen, so why did she feel so uneasy all of a sudden about it? It was all Lissa's fault…

"By that, I mean we have to pick out the wedding date, and get fitted for the special clothes."

Robin let loose a relieved sigh, reveling in the fact that at least for a while longer they could avoid the topic of… well, what would happen _after _the wedding.

She shook her head in frustration. Really, why was she feeling so weird about it? She wanted this just as much as Chrom did – she would receive the title of Royal Tactician and get the chance to pass down her knowledge to her own flesh and blood. Everything would be fine.

"Do you have a date in mind yet?" she asked timidly, hoping he would mistake her tone for fatigue.

"Not exactly," he replied instantly, "but I do think we should have it within the month, because – "

"We never know when a tragedy will strike," she finished for him with a laugh, feeling multitudes better already.

She smiled to herself and rolled over to her other side. It would all work out one way or another, and besides, Chrom promised her they would still at least be friends after it was all over. She'd have Lissa and Frederick by her side, too, so there was really nothing to worry about.

Chrom sighed, though there was an amused tone to his voice. "You know me so well."

Robin exhaled her own breath, along with all the anxiety she'd been feeling. So much had happened today already, so it was probably just eating at her and making her insecure.

She reminded herself briskly to take her luggage out of Lissa's room in the morning, but soon afterwards the chirping of crickets outside serenaded her into sleep.

* * *

_~CGA_


End file.
